As he prepares for the funeral of his son, Ray Johnson continues to press for information about events leading up to Elliott’s death
Elliott Johnson who has sadly died - Credit: Archant
Family and friends of Elliott Johnson, the 21 year-old Conservative Party activist who died earlier this month, are being asked to make a donation to charity instead of sending flowers to his funeral.
His father, Ray, said the funeral would take place on October 9 at 12.30pm at Fenland Crematorium, March, with donations being handed to the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
Mourners will be invited to “dress in normal clothes” for the service that is expected to be attended by local Conservative Party members and supporters who knew Elliott from his campaigning days in Wisbech.
However Mr Johnson is continuing to meet with detectives from British Transport Police in the wake of his son’s death at a Bedfordshire rail station.
Mr Johnson said he had since discovered more of what had been happening to Elliott after he moved to London and began working for a Conservative Party think tank.
He can trace events back to an altercation between Elliott and a party official in the Marquis of Granby pub on August 12 that led to his son lodging a formal complaint to his employers.
As family members try to come to terms with Elliott’s death, Mr Johnson is still bitter at the lack of contact from his son’s former employers.
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“We’ve not heard a damn word or letter of condolence from them,” he said. “It’s as if they have slammed the door shut.”
BBC Panorama has been to see Mr Johnson to explore the possibility of a documentary looking at events that led to his son’s death.
But Mr Johnson says the only messages of condolence from the party have been from MP Steve Barclay and London mayor candidate Zac Goldsmith, MP.
A Conservative Party spokesman said: ‘Everyone in the Conservative Party is deeply saddened at the death of Elliott Johnson.
“The circumstances surrounding his death are in the hands of the coroner and it is not appropriate to comment on those at this time.
“The party’s own, separate, disciplinary inquiry is in relation to complaints received from Mr Johnson and others against a member of the party. This ... was launched as soon as a complaint was received in August 2015.’
At the opening of the inquest last week- that has now been adjourned- the first public indications of the troubled mind of Elliott were given in a brief statement that referred to “certain allegations with the possibility of bullying before Mr Johnson died”.
